Chapter 161: Garden of Eden~
"Hmm~"
It is Nozomi's gentle song.
Skadi's soft voice also sounded softly, harmonizing with him.
They are blood relatives, closely connected to each other, so they will never be separated... Skadi will never leave either.
She will protect [blood relatives].
So...
Snap——
The singing stopped instantly, and the calmness in her eyes was instantly filled with danger and vigilance. With a wave of her hand, a deep blue sword appeared out of thin air, drawing a water blade like a wave in the air and attacking in a certain direction.
[Ugh——]
Then came the sounds of fear, terror, and shivering.
[Don't hit me… Don't hit me… I… I'm not here to cause trouble…]
"......"
Skadi didn't say anything, but her eyes became more dangerous.
She... is about to start [hunting].
She would never let her [blood relatives] get hurt again.
She will protect [blood relatives].
"It's alright, [Blood Relative]."
Nozomi gently stopped Skadi and spoke softly.
"Come on, it's okay."
「Hmm...Hmm...」
Its tone seemed a little shy, and it was reluctant to come out of the shadows as if it was afraid of something.
"It's okay, come on, [Blood Relative] won't hurt you."
[Thank you…thank you…]
It hesitated for a while but finally came out. On its small body, it had long straight black hair like the night sky, pupils as blue as the sea, a white Gothic skirt with red spots swaying gently, and on its feet were exquisite black leather boots that made crisp sounds when it stepped on the ground. It had a small black hat on its head and looked quite elegant.
It looked shy and flustered, just like a noble lady meeting a stranger for the first time... Well, unfortunately, its body was too small, like a doll.
No, now it is just a "doll".
"How... do you use this body?"
[Because... because this body is the only one without an owner... and you assembled it, and the clothes were designed by you, so... so I think that if I meet you in this state, you will probably... be more accepting of me...]
It twirled its skirt gently, appearing very nervous as if it was trying to explain something, but in the end, its voice became weaker.
[This... Will you be more willing to accept me like this? Senpai...]
"I see. It seems my skills are still not good enough..."
Nozomi reached out and poked its little face, but it didn't dare to resist (Skadi: Stare——), and could only stand there obediently.
"However, if you think it's useful, then take it. Um... As for me, I actually hope I can see you in your original appearance, okay?"
[But, I...was ugly in my original appearance...]
"It's okay. I don't care."
Nozomi smiled, reached out his hand, and rubbed its little head.
"Besides... I prefer children who are more honest, okay?"
「Hmm...Hmm...」
It hesitated for a while, but finally closed its eyes. After a blurry and confused light, the doll-like body fell down softly, and what was left in its place was a strange... "creature".
"That's great, you're a brave and good kid...ah..."
Nozomi didn't seem to mind it, and his expression didn't even change. He just gently touched the part that belonged to its head. However, at this time, Nozomi's hand was also covered with some disordered icons.
Skadi's dangerous eyes swept over instantly, and it quickly retreated a little.
[I'm sorry…senpai…I, I shouldn't have let you get close to me…]
It tried hard to explain and show its friendly attitude towards Nozomi and Skadi, just like it was trying to show its elders that it was a "well-behaved" child.
[I... I still can't control my power... I unconsciously want to copy you... I'm sorry...]
"...Is that so? It seems that my efforts are not enough. The power of the song is not obvious enough in you."
Nozomi's gaze lingered on his disordered hands for a while, and then he laughed, allowing the little azure fish around them to approach, gather together, and wrap his hands... After a while, his hands returned to normal.
Well, at least it looks recovered.
Skadi was still staring at it, her eyes full of danger... But soon, Nozomi gently tugged at Skadi's sleeve, brought her gaze back to himself, and then gently shook his head at her.
"I'm fine, [Blood Relative]."
"...Um."
Skadi hesitated for a long time before she nodded and stopped looking at it.
"So... what's the matter with you coming to see me?"
[Um... I... I just wanted to come and see you... and... to thank you a little.]
It spoke slowly.
[Thank you very much for your "songs". They have allowed me to see a lot and learn a lot, such as... if possible... I would like to hear you sing... yeah, live.]
"If you want, you can come every [promised] day. I welcome every listener."
「No… Well, that… Never mind… My senpai's friends are all so amazing. I… I'm a little scared…」
Its body shrank slightly and it spoke timidly.
[Besides... I am different from my senpai' friends... and it is not appropriate for me to approach you all...]
[No, but... I will try my best! As long as I can control myself, I will go meet my senpai friends!]
[I just don't know… whether my senior friends will accept me…]
"Yes, they are all very nice people. I believe that if they see you and understand your situation, they will definitely be very happy, right?"
[Really?! Are you all good people? Just like... just like what the senpai described in his "song", all humans are good, even... even a Herrscher like me, are you willing to accept that?]
It suddenly became a little excited.
[I've seen this before, too? There's another Herrscher who's active with the senpai' friends, and I want to be like her! Even... even like the senpai, being liked by everyone, I want to be like that too...]
[But... but I still can't control my own strength...]
"It's okay, you will succeed in the end, just take it step by step~"
Nozomi smiled.
"But, humans... aren't all as beautiful as they are portrayed in the song, huh?"
[…Huh?]
It seemed a little stunned.
"They will also lie, betray, and doubt something for an inexplicable reason. As long as there is a reason that can convince themselves, they can do some bad things without any burden... These are what they are best at."
[…Huh?]
It doesn't seem to understand.
[So... senpai... don't you like them?]
"No~ Even so, I still like them, just like when you look up at night, your eyes will always be attracted by the stars instead of the darkness that occupies the sky... Those beautiful things are like stars, shining and fascinating."
"Well...but if you want to know the real reason, it's probably because they are here."
Nozomi smiled and smiled very happily.
"Because among humans there are people I like and people I love, so correspondingly... I am also willing to like the people they like and love the people they love."
[Is that so...?]
It was a little confused, but in the end, it spoke firmly.
[Then I will strive to be like my predecessor one day! Find something that I like about humans! Hmm... For example... Find a human that I like?]
"Haha, if you want to achieve that, you have to work hard now, okay?"
[Yes... yes...]
The momentum it had finally built up dropped in an instant.
[I am still so ugly now. I guess only my seniors won't care. And I can't control my own power well, which only causes trouble to others…]
Its weird head shows a "crying" expression, which may look weird at first glance, but if you look closely... well, it's still weird.
However, combined with its aggrieved tone, you can still feel a hint of cuteness.
"It's okay, I'll help you."
Nozomi stretched out his finger and gently tapped its "head," attracting its attention to himself.
"After all, my [song] exists for this reason~"
Her footsteps moved lightly, carrying his body like dancing; his singing flowed, bringing with it a radiance like a stream.
Hmm~
A gentle melody sounded along with his song, carrying the leaping notes and his blessings to its side.
It did not resist but showed an "excited" expression on its face, and then it lay down quietly, accepting his blessing with a feeling of security and comfort.
[Thank you...senpai]
When the song ended, it expressed its thanks in a somewhat hazy voice, as if it was still immersed in the previous song, but soon it came to its senses and quickly stood up.
[Thank you, Senpai! That… this… this is a thank you gift I found! Please accept it, Senpai!]
Boo~
Accompanied by a strange sound, a somewhat strange "ball" slowly appeared on its head, and it seemed that something was preserved inside.
"......"
After hearing the second half of the sentence, Skadi's eyes swept over again, but it didn't care at this time. It just wanted Nozomi to accept it.
"Okay~"
As expected, Nozomi...did not refuse.
Just accepted it with pleasure.
"Well, since I received a gift, I should naturally give a gift in return..."
[No need, Senpai... um...]
"Shhh - it's not a big deal. And it's not something particularly valuable."
As he spoke, Nozomi picked up the little doll lying on the ground and gently placed it on its head.
"Okay~ It just happens that you can use this body. Mm, it will look cuter this way~"
[Thanks...]
"Oh, by the way, if you want to meet other people, you'd better give yourself a name, okay?"
[…Can I ask you, Senpai?]
"Okay~ Let me think about it..."
Nozomi blinked and tilted his head to the side as if he was thinking, and his white hair like waves fell down.
"It just so happens that this name was originally intended for it, um... I'll give it to you now."
Nozomi's gaze stayed on the little doll for a while, then he smiled and spoke softly.
"[Koroi], how is it?"
[Koroi... Yeah! Thank you, senpai!]
It seems that it likes this name very much.
————————
"Um..."
"What's wrong, Mei? If you have any troubles, just tell me directly. I will help you~"
"Elysia, there is something I have wanted to ask for a long time... After getting to know you better, this doubt has become more obvious."
Mei Raiden, who was resting in the "Utopia," looked at the people in front of her, some of whom were living a peaceful life, some were dazed like zombies, and some had collapsed and fallen into madness... and spoke slowly.
"Please tell me~ Miss Fairy will definitely tell you everything~?"
"Since once you enter the Utopia, you will become stagnant like the painting... then why didn't you walk out of the painting and continue living outside?"
"…Because we can't do it."
"…Can't do it?"
"Mei, any power has a price, even a special product like 'Utopia' is no exception."
Elysia said with a sigh.
"The Utopia can indeed make those who enter the painting stagnate, but... just like the painting, time will still leave its mark on it."
"...What's the meaning?"
"Well... to put it simply, the people who come in are indeed stuck, but in reality, their own [time] is still flowing. Once they walk out of the [painting], this [time] will be immediately reflected back to them."
Elysia said slowly.
"For example, if a person spends one day in a 'destination' and then goes out, it probably won't have any effect, but if a person spends ten years in a 'destination' and then goes out, he will be ten years older."
"And if you are in a [picture-in-picture], then this [time] will double."
"This is a problem we failed to test when we first built the Utopia. After entering the Utopia, we didn't expect that it would take so long to repair the Earth's environment. In the end... everyone couldn't leave the Utopia because they would die of old age if they left."
"In the end, only we fusion warriors can bring you some news from the outside world... And Griseo has worked hard and needs to continue painting to expand and enrich the area of 'Utopia', but even so... some people can't stand this long time."
Elysia sighed.
"I see... I think I understand."
Mei Raiden nodded... She could roughly guess what the three different types of people in front of her, calm, confused, and crazy, were thinking.
Calm people are willing to accept this way of life and are happy to continue living here. They will also take the initiative to find something to do for themselves.
The confused people are simply wandering around. Although they are willing to continue living, they don't know what to do... After all, everything here is [stagnant] and there are not many changes.
A crazy person... well... needless to say.
But at least there is one good thing here, that is, you can choose to [leave] by yourself... If you really can't bear the life here and can't accept the long time, then you can choose to walk out of the "Utopia" and face your own [death].
At least at this point, people here can still choose for themselves.
"But... um... what were Kevin and the others doing in the outside world... for?"
"... On this point, it is the disagreement between us [Flame Chasers]."
Elysia lowered her eyes and asked softly.
"Mei, do you think... Nozomi is dead?"
"...Based on the information I have received so far, he should be dead."
"Yes... He should have left, he should have died... But in the eyes of some people, he has not left, you know? He just lost his form and can't be with us anymore."
"...So that's why you did those things? Made Kevin do those things?"
"That's not the case. The main purpose is to help you, the younger generation, successfully survive the Honkai. On this point, we are highly consistent, right?"
Elysia smiled softly.
"After all, everything is for humanity... On this point, we... must not waver."
"......"
Mei Raiden remained silent... She always felt that when Elysia said that, she was very lost, as if she had mentioned something sad.
"Just~"
But soon, Elysia's tone returned to its usual light tone.
"It's okay for us to achieve some of our own small goals along the way, right?"
"...Um."
Mei Raiden nodded and said nothing more.
"Sister Mei... Sister Elysia..."
However, at this moment, Griseo's voice came from the side.
"…What's the matter, Griseo?"
Elysia looked at the girl who was running towards her, put on a bright smile, and spoke softly.
"Griseo is already a big girl, huh? She's still so flustered... um... But Griseo is also very cute like this~"
"Brother Nozomi's [painting]... is gone."
"...What did you say?"
Elysia was stunned.
————————
"How sure are you, Mobius, Vill-V?"
"Kevin, we can't give you an accurate answer on this point... You know, our research on his [song] is still very superficial."
"And didn't Su tell you? Nozomi is dead."
"But you don't think so."
"So? You plan on supporting us?"
"......"
"Okay, Kevin, instead of worrying about this, why not think about how to deal with the hidden Herrscher... You know, Little White Mouse said that when they dealt with the Kalpas, although they did deal with 1,000 puppets, they only recovered 999 Cores, so... you understand, right?"
"I know, and I won't let that happen again."
"No, no, no, you don't understand what I mean... With the ability that Herrscher has shown now, if it really wants to hide, I'm afraid it will be difficult for us to find it. But... what if we can make it come out on its own?"
"You know, it only has a [core] left that is hidden somewhere. It urgently needs a [body], right? So... I think it would be very interested in a strong enough body."
"Are you planning to..."
"That's right~"
"......"
"I see. Have you told Eden and Sakura about this?"
"We have no objection."
"…Sakura? Why are you here?"
"Rin noticed something unusual, so she asked me to tell you... Also, Eden said that his [painting] is missing."
"[Painting]... and Rin... damn it!"
————————
"Look, my dear, I received a gift from a new Herrscher."
"Well... although it seems like this originally belonged to me."
Nozomi touched the "ball" full of confusion, unfolded it, and revealed the [painting] stored inside.
It was the painting that Griseo had given him.
"... [Blood relatives], is this really... worth it?"
Skadi said slowly.
"Of course~"
"Do you like humans so much, [Blood Relative]?"
"Yes~"
"......"
"Okay, okay~ Don't be so angry, it's just a newborn baby, it can't control its power well... As a senior, I naturally have to help, right?"
Nozomi smiled, put the painting down, and spoke while looking at the scenery in it.
"But... it's hurting [blood relatives]."
Skadi looked at the disordered icons that gradually spread to Nozomi's body and said slowly... It should now be called Kroy... Kroy still only left harm to Nozomi, and what Kroy left on Nozomi was still being [deleted].
"Even if it's unintentional, it's still hurting [blood relatives]."
"It doesn't matter. After all... I won't really die here, right?"
"......"
"I'm just a thought, isn't it?"
"......"
"Blood relative, you know I'm not here, so... it's okay."
Nozomi smiled easily, took brisk steps, and gently stepped back a few steps. Then... his body slightly spun, bringing up a silk-like glow.
"Okay~ Now, just focus on me... Of course, you have to deal with me properly afterward, okay?"
"......"
"Please, [Blood Relative]~"
"...um."
"I love you the most~"
"me to..."
Hmm~
A soft song sounded, bringing with it a gentle melody and leaping notes.
The night slowly came from the horizon, covering [this place] with a veil unique to the night. Stars twinkled, and beneath the body, the green grass spread quietly, and the flowers grew and bloomed quietly.
...All the scenery slowly overlapped with what was depicted in the painting.
And Skadi also joined in the harmony, gently, bringing up the azure water and white waves, wrapping him up and separating him from everything around him.
The disordered icons on his body...are increasing.
In the end, Nozomi looked in a certain direction...there, Eden was the only spectator, watching everything silently.
Hmm~
Nozomi smiled at her and waved slightly.
[goodbye]
That's what he said.
Eden also smiled softly and waved slightly like him.
[goodbye]
This is how she responded.
Hmm~
Nozomi laughed happily, and finally... his figure, along with the disordered icon, turned into foam in the water.
And Skadi slowly stopped singing.
"......"
She turned around and glanced in the direction of Eden, then turned around, bringing up the azure water, like a fish entering the sea, and jumped into the "ground", transformed into a killer whale, and swam away quickly.
Since her [blood relatives] were gone, there was no need for her to stay here for long.
And... she also had to find it, find Kroy.
Anyone who harms [blood relatives] must pay the price.
Even if it is unintentional, it is not okay.
[Hunting]...has begun.
......
"Goodbye...?"
Eden, who was still standing there, chewed over these words quietly, then smiled.
"Well, we'll...see you soon."
She firmly believed it.
————————
[HeheHehe]
Kroy seemed very happy.
Not only did she hear the song that her senior sang specifically for her, but she also received his blessings and even a name given by him... Is there anything better than all these happy things combined?
[And... this body...]
Kroy looked at her small body which looked no different from a doll.
[No, no, no... Senpai prefers older girls... Such a small body won't do~]
[I'll find a way to become a big girl later~ Yeah! Then I'll give my senior a surprise! ]
[But since you've helped me so much, I don't think I have anything to give you… Oh, right! ]
Kroy suddenly thought of a good way to repay.
[I remember that Senior... there seems to be a wish that has not been fulfilled...]
[Will I always be with Miss Eden?... Okay! I will help you achieve it! Okay!]
[I think the senior will be very happy then, right? ]
[Hmm Hmm?]
Kroy was very happy because she felt that she had thought of a wonderful "way to repay," and even a hint of humming appeared in her voice.
At this moment, she was like a newborn, innocent and naive, without the slightest awareness of whether her actions would inadvertently hurt others.
And she also forgot or was not aware of, her almost subconscious desire to continuously [copy] him... Just now, without realizing it, she had killed her beloved senior with her own hands...
Nozomi/Skadi (SSS) No attributes
Nozomi: Invincible throughout the battle, and will play different [music] according to the battle situation. Different [music] comes with different effects.
——————
"Prelude to a Powerful Enemy": Played when a character enters the scene, grants Skadi increased damage resistance, immunity to abnormal states, and increased resistance to interruption.
"Hymn of Courage": During Skadi's transformation phase, if a character uses melee attacks to parry Skadi's attacks three or more times, Nozomi will play this [song], allowing the character to gain a total damage increase and restore 1 energy point per second in the next battle.
"Agile Dance Steps": During Skadi's transformation phase, and when a character uses the dodge skill to dodge Skadi's attacks three or more times, Nozomi will play this [music], allowing the character to gain increased attack speed and reduced skill cooldown in the following battle.
"The Meaning of Perseverance": During Skadi's transformation phase, and when a character uses a blocking skill to block Skadi's attacks three or more times, Nozomi will play this [music], which will reduce the damage the character will receive in the next battle and restore 100 health points per second.
"The Birth of the Demon King": During Skadi's transformation phase, and when the character is attacked by Skadi three or more times, Nozomi will play this [music]. In the following battle, the damage Skadi receives will be reduced, the total damage will be greatly increased, the desire to attack will be increased, the ability to resist interruption will be greatly increased, and all attacks will add additional damage based on the character's current health (the lower the health, the higher the damage).
"Hero's Hymn": When a character defeats Skadi who is playing the song "Birth of the Demon King", Nozomi will play this [music] on the settlement interface, providing the character with an additional high score bonus (100%).
"Paying High Respect to Survival": When a character faces Skadi playing the song "The Birth of the Demon King" and survives until the countdown ends, Nozomi will play this [music] on the settlement interface, providing the character with an additional score bonus (40%).
"Requiem Mass": When a character is defeated by Skadi playing the song "Birth of the Demon King", Nozomi will play this [music] on the settlement interface, providing the character with a small additional score bonus (20%).
————————
Skadi: Initially in the form of a humanoid girl, she will swing a greatsword to attack. When changing stages, she will return to the killer whale form to attack. In the second stage, the humanoid girl will summon the killer whale phantom to attack together.
[Survival of the Fittest]: Calculate the health percentage of the characters on the field and Skadi. The side with the higher percentage will gain increased total damage and additional total damage penetration. The greater the difference between the two sides, the more damage is increased and the more additional total damage penetration is obtained.
[Pure Power]: Skadi has higher basic attributes and a higher health limit.
[Biological Adaptability]: When Skadi is hit by physical damage, her physical resistance is increased by a small amount. When she is hit by elemental damage, her corresponding elemental resistance is increased by a small amount. Each resistance is increased by up to 50%.
[Prey]: When a character has the [Prey] mark, the damage he takes from Skadi increases by 10%, and an additional 5% for each additional layer.
——————
[Swinging Greatsword]: Skadi swings her greatsword to perform three consecutive attacks, two fast and one slow, causing moderate physical and frost damage. Each attack adds one layer of [Prey]. If all three consecutive attacks hit, Skadi will perform an additional Wave Leap.
[Wave Leap]: Skadi retreats a distance and quickly uses the greatsword to perform an upward strike, causing high physical damage, and summons sword energy like a wave to extend in a straight line forward, causing high freezing elemental damage and superimposing 1 layer of [Prey]. If the sword energy hits, Skadi will add a tide attack.
[Tide Strike]: Skadi quickly rushes in front of the character, and after a short delay, she performs a downward slash with her greatsword and summons a tide to bombard a small area, causing high physical and frost elemental damage and stacking 2 layers of [Prey]. If the character is in a defensive posture at this time, it will cause an additional knockdown and 3 seconds of stun.
——————
[Elegy]: Skadi sings an unknown song of sorrow on the spot, granting herself a shield (equivalent to a certain value of her current health). If the song is finished, she will recover health equal to the remaining shield value and randomly stack 5 layers of [Biological Adaptability]. If interrupted, Skadi's attack power and desire to attack will increase, and she will immediately release a Leap Wave.
——————
[Hunting]: When the [Prey] mark of a character on the field reaches the 20th level, the character cannot be switched. At the same time, Skadi briefly shows her killer whale Honkai beast body to hunt the character, and her movement speed is increased. When catching the character, she will engage in [Wrestling (Continuous QTE)]. If the [Wrestling] is successful, she escapes the hunt, the [Prey] mark is reduced to 5 levels, and Skadi enters a state of exhaustion for 5 seconds. If the [Wrestling] fails, the character's life will immediately return to zero.
——————
[This is my original appearance]: When Skadi's health is reduced to a certain value (breaking the first health bar), Skadi gives the field the [Ocean] attribute, and at the same time shows her own body form of [Killer Whale Honkai Beast], and performs 5 ramming attacks on the character, causing moderate freezing elemental damage, and superimposing 1 layer of [Prey] mark.
——————
[We Are Connected by Blood]: When Skadi enters the second stage, she will summon a killer whale phantom to attack together. The damage of the killer whale phantom is 50% of the original attack damage. When this attack hits, it will also add 1 layer of [Prey].
——————
[Blood Relatives]: When Skadi's (second stage) health drops to a certain value, Skadi will return to Nozomi, recovering 2% of her health per second while granting herself a multiplier shield (30). When the multiplier shield is broken, the health recovery will stop. This skill can only be triggered twice.
——————
[Sing with Me]: When the character on the field is "Eden," Skadi stops attacking, and Nozomi will play [Music] - "Golden Brilliance"; when "Eden" releases a special move for the first time, the character on the field will be locked as "Eden." When "Eden" releases a special move 7 times, the battle is considered a victory.
——————
[Dance with Me]: When the character on the field is "Sakura (Goddess·Don't Forget)," Skadi stops attacking, and Nozomi will play [Music] - "A Moment of Blossom"; when "Sakura (Goddess·Don't Forget)" releases a special move for the first time, the character on the field will be locked as "Sakura (Goddess·Don't Forget)," and when "Sakura (Goddess·Don't Forget)" releases 7 special moves, the battle is considered a victory.
"Has it been dealt with?"
"Don't worry, Kevin. The bait has been laid out. I believe it will be taken."
"Okay, but... what about the other one?"
"Tsk... this is the weird part. Logically, since it was Rin who could sense the problem, then it should be the Twelfth Herrscher who has the same ability as her. According to the order of appearance we guided, it should be this one."
"…Can we find the exact time when it appeared?"
"No... But what can be confirmed is that it has been active in the Garden of Eden. There are obvious traces of it in many places, and the earliest time point... can be traced back to when Raiden Mei just came in."
"Has it been there since then? Is Nozomi's disappearance related to it?"
"Yes, but we also found traces of Skadi, and... according to Eden's later supplement, Nozomi must have been voluntary, even his disappearance was the same."
"......"
"Okay, Kevin, don't look like that."
"I know."
"So...what's next?"
"Prepare for battle."